Device for regulating the quality of gas.



No. 838,634. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

O. MATTHEWS, JR.

DEVICE FOR RBGULATING THE QUALITY OF GAS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. e. 1906.

THE NBRRIS PETERS c0., WASHINGTON, o. c.

CHARLES MATTHEWS, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR REGULATING THE QUALITY OF GAS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed September 6, 1906. Serial No. 333,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MAr'rnnws, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Regulating the Quality of Gas, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improved means for effecting a proper mixture of air with gasolene-vapor to produce a proper illuminating-gas, and it has for its object to produce a device of this characterthat will not only regulate the admission of air to the mixer, as has heretofore been the practice,.in order to reduce the richness of the gas in such mixer so as to bring it to the required degree for satisfactory combustion, but will also regulate the admission of air to the carbureter containing the gasolene. Means have heretofore been provided for regulating the admission of air to the mixer, so as to reduce the richness of the gas contained therein and also to regulate the flow of gas from the carbureter to the mixer, both of these operattions being performed automatically. Such a construction as this is shown in my pending application, filed March 7, 1906, Serial No. 30,713. By automatically regulating the admission of air both to the carbureter and the mixer and permitting the gas to flow without being checked directly from the carbureter to the mixer very material advantages are obtained, as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out. This I accomplish by the means shown in the drawings and hereinafter clearly described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section through an ordinary gas-holding vessel in connection with which my improvements are employed. Fig. 2 is a cross-section at line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail illustrating the construction of my improved adjustable bearing.

In the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference-numerals, 5 indicates a hollow vessel of any suitable size and shape and adapted to receive gas from a carburetor or other source of supply, as well as airto be mixed with the gas.

6 indicates a pipe leading from a carbureter, through which gas is received and conducted to the interior of the vessel 5. In the construction shown this pipe 6 is connected by an elbow or nipple 7 to a hollow ring 8, formed on the bottom of the vessel 5, the interior of such ring communicating with the interior of the vessel by a number of openings 9, through which the gas passes to the interior of said vessel.

10 indicates a valve-casing bolted or otherwise secured to the under face of the lower end of the vessel 5, such lower end being provided with. a central opening 11, communieating with the interior of the valve-casing 10.

12 indicates a vertically-disposed valvestem in the casing 10, carrying at each end two ordinary valves 13 and 14, such valves being at the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the stem 12 and the upper valve 13 seating downward on a suitable seat, while the lower valve 14 seats upward on its seat.

15 indicates a pipe screw-threaded into a suitable nipple 16 on the side of the valvecasing 12, through which pipe air is forced from a suitable source of supply into the valve-casing 10. 17 indicates another pipe screw-threaded into the lower end of the valve-casing 10 and communicating at its other end with the interior of the carbureter, (not shown,) from which gas is conducted through the pipe 6.

18 indicates an air-tight float that is supported on pivots 19 upon bearings secured to the inner face of the wall of the vessel 5. As shown, these pivots 19 are the projecting ends of a rod extending through the float; but it is evident, of course, that instead of providing such a rod two short pivot-pins might be suitably attached to the face of the float.

20 indicates a vertical tube located in the central portion of the float 18 and intended, when the float is properly adjusted within the casing 5, to be directly over and in line with the opening 11 in the lower end wall of the casing 5.

21 indicates a chain or other flexible connection secured at its lower end to an eye on the upper face of the valve 13 and at its upper end to a cross-bar 22, extending across the tube 20.

In order to obtain a direct upward pull on the valve-stem 12 and the valves carried thereby, it is necessary that the float 18 be adjusted so as to bring its central tube 20, in which is located the chain 21, directly over and in line with the said opening 11 and the interior of the valve-casing. To this end I provide improved brackets for the pivots 19, said brackets each consisting of a plate 23, curved to conform to the curvature of the wall of the casing 5, against which they are secured, in the sides of each of which plates are formed long slots 24, through which the attaching-bolts 25 can pass. By this means the brackets can be adjusted with great nicety, so as to insure the tube 20 of the float 18 being brought directly and exactly in line with said opening 11. I provide each bracket with an inwardly-projecting lug 26, through which a screw 27 passes, upon the head of which screw rests one of the pivots 19. The head of each screw 27 is depressed at its central portion, as shown, in order to prevent the pivot resting thereon from becoming disengaged from the screw or from shifting out of proper engagement with the screwhead. By turning the screw the float 18 can be raised or lowered slightly, as required.

28 indicates a pipe leading from the upper end of the vessel 5, through which gas is drawn off for consumption.

29 indicates a deflector or baffle-plate suspended within the vessel 5 from its upper end for the purpose of compelling the gas to pass around at the sides of the vessel.

30 indicates a counterbalance-weight applied to one side of the float 18.

It is usual in connection withdevices of thischaracter to regulate the quality of the gas that will operate the float by connecting therewith some form of arm onv which is mounted adjustably a weight; but as such devices are common and well understood and form no part of my present invention I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate any such device in connection with the apparatus shown.

In the production of gas from gasolene it is not unusual for the volume of gas produced. to be substantially double the volume of air used to produce the gas, the volume of gas produced by a given quantity of air decreas ing as the gasolene becomes less and less volatile after the process of gas making has been continued for some time with the same body of gasolene. In other words, with a fresh supply of gasolene in the carbureter the air that is first brought in contact with the gasolene passes to the mixer in the form of a rich gas of practically double the volume of the air that entered the carbureter, and as the process of gas-making proceeds by passing fresh amounts of air over the same body of gasolene the same amount. of air that was used in the first instance will produce a constantly decreasing volume of gas in the chamber 5 or mixer, as it is termed. Now when it is borne in mind that the gas as used commercially, in order to produce the best results, is composed of approximately eighty-five per cent. of air and fifteen per cent' of vapor it will be evident that when the volume of gas sent to the mixer is considerably in excess of the volume of air that was sent through the carbureter to produce this gas it is necessary to supply considerably more air to the mixer than to the carburetor. As heretofore constructed devices of this character have not been adapted to control the flow of air except as it is led to the mixer, with the result that when an unusually large volume of gas was formed in the mixer from a much less volume of air the gas would be found too rich for good results, as it would not be possible to admit suflicient air quickly enough through the usual air-passage to reduce it. By my invention I overcome these difliculties of former constructions, for immediately upon the rich gas entering the vessel 5 through the pipe 6 the float 18 will be turned on its pivots and through the pull exerted through the chain 21 will raise the valve-stem 12 and the valves carried thereby. This will raise the valve 13 clear of its seat and at the same time bring the valve 14 firmly against its seat. The entire air-current entering the valve-casing 10 through the pipe 15 is thus caused to pass through the opening 11 into the vessel 5. Sufficient air is thus admitted to the vessel to reduce the gas to the required extent to render it fit for consumption, and as the gas is drawn off the float will sink sufliciently to open the lower valve 14:, so that more air may be admitted through the pipe 17 to the carbureter. While the gasolene in the carbureter is fresh the amount of opening of the valve l lwill not bevery great, for, as before explained, a given volume of air will result in a very considerably greater volume of gas sent to the mixer or vessel 5, and to this gas in the mixer or vessel 5 air in large quantities must be admitted through the opening controlled by the valve 13. As the gasolene in the carbureter becomes less volatile from having been in use the gas in. the vessel 5 will raise the float less and less, and consequently the valves will be so moved as to admit more air to the carbureter and less directly to the mixer or vessel 5. The float is so sensitive that a slight increase or decrease in the weight of the gas will cause it to move instantly, with the result that the mixture of gas and air within the chamber is preserved practically uniform at all times.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mixing device of the class described, the combination with a gas-holding vessel and a float therein, of a valve-casing having communication with said vessel and with a pipe leading to a carbureter, valves in said casing for controlling the flow of air to both the vessel and the carbureter-pipe, means connecting said valves with the float to cause them to operate simultaneously upon the movement of the float, and a pipe for conveying gas from a carburetor to the said vessel, substantially as specified.

2. In a mixing device of the class described, the combination With a gas-holding vessel and a float therein, of a valve-casing having communication with said vessel and With the pipe leading to a carbureter, a vertically-disposed valve-stem in said casing, oppositelyopening valves on said stem for controlling the passage of air to said vessel and said pipe, 

